Soldier receives a hero’s welcome in Parliament

A SOLIDER from Burton has been given the red carpet treatment during a visit to the Houses of Parliament.

Trooper Jake Wheeler, who hails from Winshill and now serves in the 4th Mechanised Brigade, has recently returned to Britain after a six-month tour of duty in Afghanistan.

The squaddy, who studied at Abbot Beyne School, met Burton MP Andrew Griffiths in Parliament after the brigade marched through Westminster to mark its homecoming.

Mr Griffiths said: “It was a pleasure to be able to welcome Trooper Wheeler to Westminster and give him the homecoming he and the brigade deserved.

“They had a particularly hard and dangerous tour, and everyone is delighted to have them home.”

There were 120 soldiers who marched through Westminster and were met by Defence Secretary Philip Hammond.

The troops paraded from Wellington Barracks, along Birdcage Walk, into Parliament Square and on to the House of Parliament, where they were treated to a well-earned drink.

Brigadier Bob Bruce, commander of the North Yorkshire-based 4th Mechanised Brigade, said: “A huge amount was achieved by the men and women of 4th Mechanised Brigade over our six-month tour.

“Through their hard work and sacrifice, Afghanistan is a step closer to a peaceful future, with the insurgency weakened further and the Afghan forces now in the lead for security operations in their own country.”

Comments

When allied troops leave Afghanistan,the Taliban will just walk back in the same day and no one will stop them, this whole exercise has been a waste of life and money,It was doomed to fail from day one.